Tuesday, December 24, 2024

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Found these two Nancy Gertrude Scott hooked rugs recently and waited to show them until now.  First one with Santa and star measures 17 x 35 and is listed for $399.  In case you aren't aware, she is the daughter of Barbara E. Merry whose rugs I've posted before.
The other rug listed in the same auction is bigger (29 x 36) this Santa is listed for $699. 
While Christmas is centered around Santa for the children, we know the reason for this blessed holiday is to celebrate the birth of Jesus.  I want to wish all my Christian friends a very Merry Christmas and my Jewish friends a Happy Hanukkah.  

Saundra

Sunday, December 22, 2024

MORE THAN HALFWAY

.. and over the moon happy.  Normally I'd have gotten bored by now and wish I had a 'plus one' to work on .  But am still enjoying pulling loops on Magdalena's Animal Parade.  I didn't draw mine as large as the original (45 x 115) nor the sizes offered by Woolly Fox (33 x 79 and 32 x 96).  I drew this one to a comfortable and workable wide cut size of 20 x 48.
Am using mostly 8.5 wool strips with more narrow for some outlines and dots for eyes.  I've tried to stay close to the original colors but using colors in my stash.  If you'd like to compare to the original colors you can see the original somewhere in a previous blog post HERE.  You will also see Cindy Jeffcoat's rendition which I am in awe of ~ kudos to you Cindy.  You hook everything so well.

It is frigid here in Delaware, yeah, I know not nearly as cold as it is in other states.  But below normal for us here on the eastern shore.  This too will pass, as they say.  Besides, it IS winter.

Saundra

Friday, December 20, 2024

GEOMETRIC RUGS

Have you ever hooked a geometric?  I have hooked a couple but must admit when I first started my journey into rug hooking didn't particularly care for them.  Yet quilters work with geometrics all the time ~ log cabin style quilts, turning the triangle and diamond shapes into stars, etc.

Now it's time to show you a few of the geometric rugs from the flash drive.  The first geometric was listed as circa 1920-49 and measures 38 x 76.
Big and small stars but no other information was provided so age is unknown.
Diamonds and triangles, again no other info.
Then you could get more elaborate and do a complicated diamond crisscross geometric.  Size is 28.5 x 46 but no date provided.  Can't you see a quilter doing this?  I sure can but I wouldn't want to work with so many small pieces of cotton fabric, lol.
An early 1900's geometric rug using fibers she had, measuring 15.5 x 24.
Another geometric hooked late 19th century.   

This geo below displaying diamonds and triangles which take the shape of trees.
This design below is very old and I will provide a grid for you to print out and use for your own rug.  
Here is the grid you can print out and enlarge to whatever size rug you want, just keep drawing and adding this section of the grid until you get the desired size.  As you will see further down, you can make this grid into many different styles, so it is quite versatile ~ again it is OLD and copyright free.
Look at this beauty below using the same grid but hooking it differently.
The geometric was dated in the 1900's and measures 35 x 57.
Here is a close up of that style hooking, which might have been a companion to the rug above.  Seems like a great way to use up some of those wooly worms and a rug you could stop and start as the wool strips start to multiply again.
A scrappy geometric hit and miss drawn on an angle and without the zig zag shape.
And a more organized hit and miss geo.
Finally, a hit and miss rug which lends itself to looking like a woven blanket.  
Has anyone considered hooking a geometric after seeing this blog post?  I hooked the grid design over 10 years ago and you can see the finished post about it HERE.  Mine looks somewhat different than those shown on this post.  Have fun.

Chilly drizzly day in Delaware and word is the rain might turn into a few flakes.  Thankfully not into a LOT of flakes.  Happy weekend as you do your final Christmas preparations.

Saundra



Tuesday, December 17, 2024

ANIMAL RUGS OF OLDE

My flash drive is filled with mostly geometric and animal rugs so will post animal themed rugs this time.  An orange red horse with leaf border, no date was provided.
This antique lion and trees rug sold for $6,875 (don't know which year) and measures 
35 x 52.
I hooked an adaptation of this rug in 2012 which was color planned by the dearly departed rug hooker extraordinaire Barb Carroll.
Nine animal panels hooked early 20th century.  Animals facing all four sides, dimensions are 36 x 40.5.
I love deer rugs but this is definitely not a color scheme I'd follow, too much bright red for me.
Dated 1885, this cat rug has a decorative felt edge.  Measures 29 x 67.5.
Sure looks old but don't have details, someone who reads my blog loves chickens.
A naïve primitive barnyard animal rug with hit and miss border. 
Promoted as "confetti horse" this 18 x 29.5 rug is from the collection of Ed and Anita Holden.
Below is a close up of one of the corners so you can see the textiles used.
Whoever hooked this must have had a dog that would hunt.  In it's element, the dog in the cattails with doves and pheasants.  Dated 1920 measures 32 x 55.
Scotties dated 1900-25.
Hooked horse (36 x 58) from the estate of George Fernald Chatham, NH.
Wasn't sure what that white spot near the ears was all about as it didn't appear to be an eye.  The auction house showed the back view of the rug but still didn't seem clear if it was a repair since it didn't have fabric in the area.
There are many more animal rugs on my flash drive, lots of eagles, geometrics and florals.  So guess what you'll be seeing more of in future posts.

Do you believe just 8 more days until Christmas?  This year has just slipped by in the flash of an eye.  Yet it will seem like forever until spring gets here.

Saundra


Sunday, December 15, 2024

MY SATURDAY

Finally decided to clean a couple rooms and bring out a few Christmas decorations.  Since I don't have a significant other, no kids and no visitors it seemed like a waste of time.  But friend Lauren said it would do my heart good to see some holiday decorations around me.  And so I did.

The Christmas Cactus is blooming and has several buds which may be open by the 25th.  There use to be a beautiful huge Christmas Cactus in that pot but started dyeing off.  I tried to repot it, some parts continued to die but this has survived.
In the same photo, I made the top left doll and the bottom two dolls.  The child iron, cup and flatware is all I have left from my childhood toys.  My father unearthed them when working work in his backyard when in my 40's.

Below is the feather tree I made from scratch.  Can't recall from whom I purchased the dyed goose feathers but followed the directions, attached them to a dowel then decorated it with vintage tinsel and dollar store ornaments.  A homemade star is at the top but got cut off in the photo.  The square fence is a vintage piece purchased at a thrift store, the round base inside was from my grandfather's porch column base.  The Santa I made years ago and he has his own feather tree.  A faux poinsettia in the background. 

Oh, that brass boiler in the back left holding rugs was once used to bathe me in as a small child.  My parents were temporarily living with my grandfather who had no running water but did have an inside pump.  They would heat up water on the wood cooking stove and make the water comfortable for bathing.
On the harvest table is the Charlie Brown Christmas Tree and think I need to find a red Christmas ball to hang on it.  Finally, the Santa and Deer adaptation I hooked and Santa boot with bead stems inside.  And that is the extent of my decorating.
Then later that day I made some smoky potato chickpea stew.  
Here is the recipe if you like to try different soups and stews.
I've made this before and liked it.  Since I had a few russet potatoes left from a sale decided to finish them up with the stew.  Didn't have kale so used my fresh baby spinach usually used for green salads, also had a couple carrots so put them in the pot.  It was yummy once again and that will be tonight's dinner.

Now I've got to get in gear and draw another antique Santa and Deer rug pattern.  Happy weekend, happy hooking, knitting, stitching, reading, etc.

Saundra


Friday, December 13, 2024

SLOW PROGRESS

At least to me it seems as tho I'm making slow progress.  Perhaps because this is bigger than I normally hook, and I don't care because I'm still having fun.  Yet Jo, Jenny and that whole group of gals hook rugs far larger than this and seem to finish them in less time; plus, they teach.  Guess I need a class in time management 😞  
Tomorrow I must clean downstairs to do a little Christmas decorating.  It won't be elaborate decorating, perhaps my Charlie Brown tree and the feather tree I made, will decide tomorrow.  But like Lauren said, it will do my heart good.  With all the decorating she does her heart must be full.

Heard on local news that Drones have invaded the lower eastern shore, not far from me.  A law enforcement officer whom is very respected said the government officials are saying nothing to him so had no information to provide.  

Enjoy the weekend, it's mighty cold here.

Saundra


Tuesday, December 10, 2024

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER

My plan was to do a blog post yesterday but didn't have something interesting to write about.  Here it is late evening and still don't have much to post so will just pretend you're my neighbor who dropped by to see what I've been up to the last couple days, lol.

Yesterday I drew a pattern for someone who wanted to hook the antique Santa and Deer pattern below.
As you can see, it is a very faded rug and poor photo from which to draw a pattern.  Oh I could guess and just change motifs to be what I think they are, but that wouldn't be a likeness of the antique.  Before drawing it I asked the buyer if she was sure, and did she want all the squiggles in the background.  The answer was 'yes'.

I wasn't sure if that was a date to the bottom right of the rug or not.  Since there are so many other lines, half circles, and lines it may not have been.  Anyway, I did a preliminary line sketch and sent it to her.  Told her perhaps I could find someone else to draw the pattern for her who may have a better photo of the antique and if she would like to change her mind?  The answer was 'no, I still want it'.

Well bless her heart for believing me and trusting her creativity which she will need.  The pattern was shipped yesterday and thank you Susan for your loyalty.

Before starting this post I went surfing thru some of my old blog posts looking for inspiration.  OMG!  Didn't find inspiration but did learn how neglectful I've been over my wool room.   Cannot believe how wonderful my wool room looked then but sure as heck doesn't look like that now.  Matter of fact I confided in Susan that before I could do her pattern I had to clean off my drawing table as it was piled up with wool.  I won't show you my present wool room as I'd be embarrassed.  If you want to see it on a good day ...years ago, check it out HERE.  

Yeah, years ago.  Just think how much more wool I've purchased since then and as much hooking as I do the wool still continues to mount up.  Perhaps if I were to spend a week organizing it again I'd be okay.  At times I even think of selling some wool on FB Buy and Sell.   OH, wait, I'm still banned for another 9 days for a reason I still don't understand.

That's all I got for tonight.  Listened to the weather and tomorrow's rain forecast just might bring Delaware off the drought list with a predicted couple inches of rain.  Woodland lake just might return before spring.

Saundra

Saturday, December 7, 2024

RUG SHOW

My selection of rugs is rather small but will show you a few I've saved.  With the exception of two found this week but will hold them til closer to Christmas as they are holiday related. 

Wish the person who listed this cute rug had placed it on the floor so the clothes pins didn't show.  It's a cute donkey pulling a wagon hooked late 19th century, so the listing says.  Size is 20 x 37.
Recumbent deer and leaves, no date or size.
Listed as a hearth rug and dated March 1852.
This rug below has a native American look to it I think.  Said to be from Canada, circa 1930-40.
A hit and miss geometric with 2 blue flowers, circa 1930.  The person must have been on psychedelic's when this was hooked.  Makes me dizzy just looking at it.
To calm your eyes, here is a pictorial hooked 19th century, 25.5 x 53.
And a rug with a similar color scheme ~ pinwheels, fans, circles hooked early 20th century and measures 
30 x 49.
A view of the back on a corner.  Still amazes me how women back in the day would turn over the edge and hook through double thickness to secure the edge.  I'd love to try it but would require me to hook without a frame and don't think I could manage that.
A silhouette of 2 horses circa 1920 thought to be Mennonite 19 x 36.
Sorry it's nothing to write home about but at least it isn't another update of Animal Parade.  

Saundra


Thursday, December 5, 2024

STILL ON THE FRAME

Am still enjoying pulling loops on Magdalena's Animal Parade.   So no need for that plus one pattern yet.  I like everything so far but perhaps had a glitch which hasn't been worked out because of time restraints on wanting to post an update this evening.  It's the bird on the bottom left.
Here is a cropped image of the bird from the original rug.
Think the outline color I chose is too large and too red but hope to have that figured out before my next update.  I've taken a few liberties in my adaptation of this antique but that bold outline won't be one of them.

Wind gusts and low temperatures have been horrid last night and today.  I awoke with many limbs, some as large as my arm, broken over night.  The limbs behind the doors of my garage I removed but it was so cold and windy that I came back inside after that.  

Thank goodness my trash and recycle had been picked up yesterday or the trash would have been blown over and everything strewn throughout the neighborhood.  Temps will be lower than normal again tonight and weatherman says with the wind the feel real will be in the low teens.  Hello winter!

Hope you are keeping warm and entertained inside, happy hooking or whatever else makes yours bells jingle.

Saundra


Tuesday, December 3, 2024

CHANGE OF PLANS

Had planned to give you an update on Magdalena's Animal Parade but changed my mind and decided to post a couple old rugs instead.

Don't have a date on this antique scrolls rug but you could put the family name in the center or Welcome or whatever else you choose.  Dimensions of this rug was 39 x 64.
Another of the antique rugs located at Cogswell Grant is this flower rug.  No date but for it to be at Cogswell Grant it must qualify as an antique.
I love horses and horse rugs but am not that crazy about this one~ too much border and not enough horse.  Yarn hooked 19th century, dimensions of
 15 x 33.5.
A ship between houses, probably indicating a ship between two shores representing a sailor's life.  Hooked early 20th century and think someone did an adaptation of this but it is copyright free if you want to do your own adaptation.   
Hooked late 19th century is this awesome rug from the estate of Lisa Whittington.  The rug measures 40 x 64.
Sure hope I find some new rug auctions soon as I'm running out of rugs I really like and am always on the hunt for something interesting to hook.  Since I changed my mind and did this post on old rugs, guess what you'll see next post...yup, another update on the Animal Parade, sorry, 

It is FRIGID HERE!!!!!  Temperatures lower than normal for this time of year and expected to get down to 21* tonight but with wind will feel lower.  My propane kicked in a couple weeks ago when it reaches a low of 39* so within a couple more weeks will have to buy another tank $ $ $.

Saundra